Piano.



Patented Mar. l2, l90l.

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(Application filed May 31 1900.]

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(No Model.)

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Patented Mar. :2, IBM. L. m. FRENCH.

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(Application filed Kay 31, 1900.|

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UNITED STATES PATENT @rricr...

I LAMARTINE M. FRENCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PIANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,689, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed May 31,1900. Serial No. 18,549. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAMARTINE M. FRENCH, of Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pianos, whereof the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for modifying the tone of a piano to produce various effects, such as imitating other instruments and for other purposes.

In carrying out myinvention I make anumber of curved shoes of wood or equivalent material, one for each hammer, and so apply them that they may be moved toward and from the strings, and thereby interrupt the contact of the hammers with the strings, whereby I obtain different effects by simply varying the amount of this movement.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown myinvention adapted to an upright piano and in what I consider its best form.

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the device, taken at a point near the middle of the piano. Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing the shoe-rail and contiguous parts, taken near one end of the piano. 3 is a crosssection showing the shoe-rail and shoes turned up out of the path of the hammers, Figs. 4:, 5, 6, and 7 are views showing different positions of a hammer and shoe with respect to each other and the strings when the device is in operation. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are details of a shoe.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the hammer-rest rail, against which the shank 2 of the hammer 3 rests.

4 is the prop or lift stick by which the rail 1 and the hammers are moved toward the strings by the soft pedal.

5 is an arm, one at each end of the piano, extending upward from the rail 1 and having pivoted to it the shoe-rail 6. This shoe-rail is provided with depending blocks '7, which rest upon the action-bolts 8 when the device is in position. In pianos with three pedals the shoe-rail may be raised by the third or middle pedal by means of a rod 9, and thus moved entirely out of the path of hammers; but where it is not desirable to use a third pedal the shoe-rail may rest on the actionbolts, as shown, and the hammers will simply throw the shoes up (see dotted lines, Fig. I) and pass under them to the strings until the shoes are moved toward the strings by a movement of the soft pedal.

- 10 represents rods socketed in the hanging blocks 7 to support the shoes 11, which may be strung thereon, as shown, by passing the rods through perforations in their butts. The perforations may be bushed with felt or other non-resonant material 12, Figs. 8 and 10. To properly space the shoes on the rods, I place on each side of each shoe anon-resonant washer 13, which fits tightly on the rod and leaves the shoe free to swing thereon. To prevent the shoe swinging back too far, I provide stops 1%, which contact with the rail 6. (See Fig. 3.) lVhere desired,the shoes may be weighted, as at 15, Fig. 1O.

16 represents the strings of the piano.

In operation, the device being in the position shown in Fig. 4: and in dotted lines in Fig. 3, with the shoe-rail resting on the action-bolts, the stroke of the hammers simply throws up the shoes, (see dotted lines, Fig. t) and the hammers pass under them to the strings, and the shoes are without effect on the tone, but give the instrument a harder touch, which may be still further increased by the weights 15, thereby making a desirable technicon. Now to change the tone of the instrument the foot is simply pressed upon the soft pedal, which swings the hammer-rest rail 1 toward the strings, and thereby slides the shoe-rail 6, and with it the shoes, along the action-bolts toward the strings for example, to the position shown in Fig. 5, in which the hammers strike the strings and also cause the shoes to strike them at the same time. A further depression of the soft pedal approaches the shoes still more to the strings, so that the hammers do not touch the strings at all; but the tone is given ontirely by the shoes. Figs. 6 and 7 show two such positions of the shoes, the rail and shoes being nearer the strings in Fig. 7 than in Fig. 6. If desired, strikers 17 18 may be placed at different points on the shoes, and these strikers may be of different materials, as metal, felt, fine, thereby producing decidedly different tones. I have not thought it necessary to show the pedals and their connections. The rail 1 is the usual hammer-rest rail swinging about a center 19 in the ordinary way.

varied in many ways Without departing from my invention.

I claim- 1. In a piano, in combination With the mov able hammer-rest rail, a series of movable rigid shoes connected thereto and moved thereb toward and from the strings, and adapted by such movement to present different points for contact with the strings, substantially as set forth.

2. I11 a piano, in combination with the movable ham mer-rest rail, arms attached thereto, a rail pivotally connected to said arms, and a series of movable rigid shoes pivotally 1 connected to said rail, substantially as set I forth. I

In a piano, the combination of the movl The above mechanism may of course be 'l able hammerrcst rail, a series of movable curved shoes connected thereto and adapted by the movement thereof to present different points for contact with the strings, and one or more strikers on said shoes, substantially as set forth.

4L. In a piano, the movable hammer-rest rail, a rail pivotally connected thereto and adapted to rest and slide upon the actionbolts, a series of movable rigid shoes con nected to said rail and adapted by its motion to present different points for contact with the strings, in combination with the hammers and action-bolts, substantially as set forth.

LAMARTINE M. FRENCH. In presence of WM. S. BATES, CLARK R. ROWLEY. 

